THE STRANGER IN THE VILLAGE

The Stranger in the Village

The Stranger in the Village

The Civil Rights Movement that began in late 1950's was struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under law to primarily African American citizens of United States. In end, African-Americans won basic rights long denied to them, as well as inspired other discriminated groups to fight for their own rights, which had deep effect on American society. Many blacks took part in this movement, if it was through disputing or retaining demonstrations. However, some blacks used writing as means of contributing. James Baldwin published Stranger in Village as means of expressing his views of African-American racism. As result, their efforts helped set foundation for equal rights among blacks for generations to come. Although basic needs were met, there is still lot to be done today. (Baldwin 2005)

In Stranger in Village, Baldwin expressed how common he found racism within remote Swiss village, which is thousands of miles away from white-supreme America. (Bartholomae 2002)

It did not occur to me possibly because I am an American that there could be people anywhere who had never seen Negro. There was yet no suggestion that I was human: I was simply living wonder. 1Baldwin was stunned at fact that he alone could bring such discomfort toward villagers and how they couldn't perceive him as another ordinary human being but rather figure to be amazed by. However, Baldwin is even more shocked to hear local children shout Neger! Neger! at him and treated him as social outcast. (Baldwin 2005)

It must be admitted that in beginning I was too far too shocked to have any real reaction. 2Here, Baldwin felt very uncomfortable upon hearing those comments and furthered feeling inferior to those of villagers. Using racial slurs such as nigger is very offensive to most people and they usually will not forget it in distant future. Later on, Baldwin returns to village, where he is no longer stranger who is living wonder. However, he goes and implied that racism is still surrounding people of village. (Bartholomae 2004)

But some of men have accused le sale negre behind my back of stealing wood and there is already in eyes of some of them that peculiar, intent, paranoiac malevolence which one sometimes surprises in eyes of American white men when, out walking with their Sunday girl, they see Negro male approach. 3Whether or not children are shouting Neger! At Baldwin out of fun and amusement or women glancing with unique grin, it is considered racism and will forever be forged in lives of people.

During Baldwin's experience in Swiss village, Baldwin began to develop his opinion on relationship between whites and blacks. Baldwin tried to get across to reader that whites did everything they could to prevent blacks from establishing equal status and identity. As result, racial slurs were created as means of reminding those inferior racial groups that they were below white majority. (Bartholomae 2005)

For history of American Negro that question of his humanity and of his rights ...